The Slow Invasion
by Meghanz
Summary: Claire has recurring nightmares of aliens invading Morganville, but no-one believes her. Then one day she finds out that the aliens have already landed and infected the town' Founder, Amelie but they are not making their presence known yet. Claire must convince the ther vampires and her friends of the invasion before the town is completely taken over.
1. Chapter 1

_I hid behind the dustbin of a house as two people walked by. I don't know why I was hiding but I sensed there was something different about them. Once they passed I came from behind the dustbin._

 _I put up my hood and rounded the corner of the house bumping into someone. I looked up and wished I hadn't. His eyes were glowing green. I looked around and saw the other neighbours coming toward me, their eyes glowing too._

 _I dodged a grab for my arm and ran towards Founder's Square._

 _I had to get to Amelie.I had to tell her an invasion was happening. She had protected me and helped me more than once, she would help me now. Or I hoped she will._

 _There was no-one on the street and it was almost completely dark apart from the_

 _treetlights dim glow._

 _As I reached Founder's Square, the guards were standing like statues, but when I got near them they didn't move but they let me pass. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't think about it, I just had to get to Amelie._

 _Going through the doors, only a few vampires were around. They looked up at me with their glowing stare and all of them bared their fangs._

 _The vampire closest to me opened his hand to reveal what was changing everyone. A green alien with various tendrils extending from its main body. The vampire took a step towards me and I ran up the stairs and crashed through the door to Amelie's office where Amelie was sitting at her desk with Oliver behind her._

" _I'm sorry for bursting in here, Amelie but you have to help me. Everyone's eyes are glowing and-"_

" _I know." Amelie said. "It's okay, there our new visitors."_

" _What-" But I already knew the second I looked at Oliver. He stared straight at me with the unearthly eyes and then Amelie looked up at me. "There's no need to worry, Claire. It doesn't hurt and once it's done you will have nothing to fear ever again."_

" _No, no! Can't you see what's happening? You can't!"_

" _Restrain her."_

 _Hands appeared on my shoulders and forced me onto the desk. "There really is nothing to fear, Claire."_

 _Amelie stood up and took something off Oliver. "Open wide."_

Claire…

" _No, please Amelie, don't do this!"_

Claire.

 _But Amelie wasn't listening to me. She grabbed my jaw and-_

"Claire!"

I gasped and bolted upright. I looked around and hyperventilated a bit, until I felt a hand on my arm. I spun around to see Myrnin looking concerned.

"Are you alright, my dear?"

"H-How did you get in?"

"You're window was open and it would have been too noisy to go through the door." _You mean too normal._ I thought. "You were having a bad dream?"

I finally got my breathing under control and looked at the time; 4:30am. "Yeah… They're called nightmares."

"I'm assuming it's something to do with Amelie?"

"How do you know?"

"You were shouting her name and saying stop and it's not you." Myrnin shrugged. "I had to cover your mouth or you would have woken up the others."

"What else was I saying?"

"The invasion's coming, but it was just a bad dream. Understandable being with Oliver."

"What?"

"Oliver's scary enough, he's sure to give you bad dreams."

"I work for you."

"I give you bad dreams?"

I sighed, there was no point in trying to explain and I was tired anyway. "Never mind. Myrnin are you going to see Amelie?"

"Not presently, why?"

"I want to talk to her."

"About your bad dream?"

"About… something else."

"Like what?"

I didn't want to tell him what exactly, but I will have to come with something. "Just something that I think is going to happen."

"Something like what?"

"Just tell her I want to talk to her, please?" I didn't want to I didn't want him to know too much, I wasn't sure about it myself.

"Fine. Have a good night and don't have anymore bad dreams."

 _I'll try to._

 _The alarm beeped and I groaned and turned it off. Opening my eyes I nearly a heart attack._

 _Amelie was standing right in front of me. "Good morning."_

" _Uh... Morning." Once I got over the shock of her appearing, that feeling came back. Something was off. Her hair was down which she almost never did, but the most striking and disturbing thing was her eyes; they were glowing green._

 _I scrambled away from her and pressed myself against the wall. "What are you doing here?"_

 _Amelie walked towards me and stopped at the end of the bed. "I've come to show you something."_

"Claire?"

I woke up, maybe a little faster than I did usually and rubbed my eyes. How is it possible to go back to sleep and have the same nightmare?

"Yeah?" I looked up at Michael.

"Amelie wants to see you."

"What for?"

Michael shrugged. "She wouldn't say except that you wanted to see her."

Last night started coming back to me. I was now wondering if this was such a good idea. Amelie didn't seem like the type of person or vampire to care if I had a nightmare. I got my clothes and went into the shower. After I finished, I brushed my teeth and got dressed then headed out.

Walking along the street, it was as normal as any day in Morganville can get. Everyone was out taking advantage of the sun and I saw students in Common Grounds. No green eyes anywhere.

Arriving at Founder's Square the guards let me past and I walked in through the doors.

"Claire Danvers?"

"Yeah?" I looked to Amelie's assistant. "The Founder will see you now."

I went up the stairs and knocked on the door, which opened after the first knock.

"Come in, Claire."

I walked in and the guards left the room and closed the door. Amelie was leaning against the front of her desk flicking through a folder.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Well last night… I, uh…" Suddenly coming here didn't seem like such a good idea.

"I don't have all day."

"Um, well… Last night I had this dream-"

"You've come to tell me about a dream?"

"Well, I think it might be real."

"Why do you think that?" She looked up at me and I was quietly relieved to see her grey eyes.

"I had the same dream twice in one night. It felt very real and-"

"Why did you come here, Claire?" She sounded just a _little_ bit annoyed. _She probably is. She's busy and I am just wasting her time._

"I just thought I should tell you because I feel like something's going to happen."

"Unless you've suddenly became psychic, I doubt that. Now if you don't have anything to say that's worth my time, you can leave now." I nodded and left. _Why did I even think it was a good idea to come here?_ As I reached the door, Amelie said, "Claire?"

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Next time you have a bad dream, tell someone that cares."

"Yes, Ma'am." I closed the door and left.


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of the day went by in a blur; I went home and told anyone curious enough what I did today, had dinner and before I knew it, I was in bed and it was midnight.

I really didn't want to go to sleep again after the nightmare last night, but I couldn't stay awake

for ever and it was not a good idea to be exhausted in a town of vampires.

" _Claire." I woke up abruptly and sat up. Amelie sat in the chair at my desk, but she had moved it to the side of my bed. "Good morning." She looked the same as she did last night; long hair down in waves with the same eerie green eyes._

" _Who are you?"_

" _You know who I am."_

" _No, I don't. I'm in a nightmare and the Amelie I know, doesn't have green eyes." I looked at the clock on the bedside table; 1:54 AM. But there was something different about this clock… Usually the time would be flashing but now it was stuck there._

" _Well I wouldn't call this a nightmare. I just thought occupying the body of someone you know would be less… Unnerving."_

" _What… are you? Where am I? Where's Amelie?"_

" _So many questions… but we have plenty of time. The first one is easy; you're exactly where you are, when you fell asleep. For the other questions… You will have to come with me."_

" _Where?"_

" _I'll show you." She got up and left the room. I pinched myself to try to wake up and tried to will myself to wake up but nothing was working._

" _Come on, Claire." I sighed and got out of bed and followed Amelie (who isn't Amelie) out of the house and onto the street._

 _Outside, the sky was black with a sprinkling of stars. There wasn't anyone out on the street._

" _Where did you come from?"_

" _A planet very far away."_

" _How did you get here? What was wrong with your planet?"_

" _Spaceship and a lack of hosts. You see, humans were just beginning to explore new worlds and they happened to come across our planet. We pulled in the ship, occupied the humans and stocking up on the rest of us, we piloted the ship back to Earth."_

" _But… Why come to Earth? What about other planets?"_

" _We came across other planets but they weren't suitable. Then more humans came on the radio asking for the return of the ship and so when we landed we took over the humans and a small group of us came here."_

 _We arrived at the Morganville Hospital. The receptionist glanced at me with those creepy eyes. "Commander, we have captured three more hiding in the back streets and one in the disused part of town. They are getting ready to be occupied."_

" _Good."_

" _You're the Commander?"_

" _Fitting, isn't it?"_

" _Are they still… alive in there?"_

" _Unfortunately no. We stop their heart when we take occupation."_ Even though she said _unfortunately_ I doubt she meant it.

" _How did you infect Amelie?"_

" _We took over Oliver at first but only partially controlled him so his eyes wouldn't glow. Then after monitoring Amelie's movements, we thought it would be best if we got her in a moment of passion."_

 _Amelie pushed open the door and led me past the desk and through the double doors into one of the surgery rooms._

 _A human girl lay strapped to the operating table. There was a small green container with something glowing green inside, which I guessed was the alien on the table to the right of her. She looked quite young; maybe 19 or in her twenties. I took a step towards her, but Amelie dragged me backwards._

" _Can't you let her go? What did you do to her?" I asked. Her grip on my arm was going to give me bruises._

" _She's partially sedated and no. Humans wouldn't stand for it. Turn on the screen."_

" _Please don't do this, Founder. You're strong, you can fight it off." The girl tried to get through to Amelie but it was no use. After a moment's hesitation, I turned on the screen and it showed the whole girls body._

" _Watch the screen." I heard the door open and two male doctors came in. One stood by the girl's head and the other stood by me, casting an unwavering, unsettling stare at me._

 _Amelie picked up the green alien and the doctor forced the girls mouth open. I couldn't look anymore and instead stared at the computer which wasn't any better._

 _The alien spread its tendrils throughout her body and the heart monitor flatlined._

" _Why did you show me that?"_

" _To show you how it's done. I want you to do the same to the other human next door."_

" _Why would I help you?" Why was she even asking this? She must have known the answer. "I'm not going to let you take over the town."_

" _You're forgetting;" the male doctor said behind me. "We have already taken over the town. We are just now finding stray humans."_

" _If you do this, you will stop having these nightmares." Amelie said. She beckoned for me to follow her. I really didn't want to, but I had no choice._

" _This isn't how nightmares work. How are you doing this?" I asked._

 _Amelie smiled. "Now that would be something you'd like to know."_

 _Amelie opened the door to the next room and I let a scream. Shane was strapped to the table, partially sedated just like the other girl._

" _Shane!" I ran towards him, but Amelie pulled me back. I hadn't had the pleasure of feeling Amelie's strength much, but she felt much stronger, like the alien was adding to her strength._

" _He was wandering the streets, looking for you." Amelie said. "One of the vampires caught him and he was screaming your name. He was so terrified of never seeing you, but when you give us a new home he will never feel that ever again."_

" _Because he'll be dead! Please let him go. I'll do anything you want, just please let him go!" I knew it was useless trying to plead with an emotionless alien, but I had to try. I couldn't let them kill Shane._

" _You're doing something for me now. "_

" _Please, not him! Anyone but him!"_

 _Amelie's grip on my arm tightened, nearly breaking the bone. "This is the only thing keeping you alive. If you don't do this, you're of no use to us."_

 _I felt as if I couldn't breathe and I wiped my face with my free hand. "I can't do it."_

" _Last chance." Amelie said quietly._

" _NO!"_

" _Liam. Claire is ready is ready to be occupied."_

 _Pure fear washed over as Liam dragged a chair over, carrying another one of those glowing_ things. " _OKAY, okay, I'll do it."_

" _Good girl." Amelie dragged me to the side of Shane where a table with an alien container on top of it._

" _Clare…" Shane said, faintly. I tried with everything I had, not to burst into tears again. But I had a plan, even if it had a one hundred percent chance at failing. He_ has _to know I've tried._

 _Amelie handed me to container. "Open it, then open his mouth." I took the container and made a swing at Amelie's head, but in a flash I was on the table behind me, with Amelie - or the thing inside her - holding me down. "Bad move."_

" _Amelie, snap out of it! Please wake up!" I tried kicking her but the doctors strapped down my legs._

" _This is my body now. Amelie is never coming back."_

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the alarm bleeped. I've never been so nerve wracked in my life. I turned it off and put my head in my hands.

I looked around the room. Everything was just as it was and my clock's time was flashing again.

I'm sure these nightmares are just nightmares, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was visions of what is going to happen. Maybe the ships were leaving now or they could already be here?

I tried really hard to get rid of that thought. I needed to tell someone but Amelie doesn't believe me and Oliver definitely won't believe me. My existence annoys the hell out of him, probably only second to Myrnin.

I could try telling Myrnin, but he'll just say the same thing; they're nightmares and to get some rest which is what I really didn't need right now.

I guess I could tell Shane or anyone else, but I didn't want to worry them. I also didn't want to annoy Amelie, but she had to know, if the invasion really was coming.

But she wouldn't allow me to see her if I went to her directly so instead of asking Myrnin who explains stuff to Amelie in way too much detail, I went to Oliver.

Having a shower, brushing my teeth and getting dressed, I headed out of the house and made my way to Common Grounds.

When I arrived it was packed as usual, but Oliver wasn't behind the bar. When I asked his replacement, the guy said he was in his office.

Standing outside the door to his office, I hesitated in knocking, having second thoughts about coming here in the first place. Oliver couldn't care less if I died some days, so why would he care if I had a nightmare?

"Come in." He could probably smell me or hear my heartbeat. Vampires were an endless source of creepy. I took a breath and opened the door. Oliver was standing behind his desk, looking through sheets of paper. I rarely came into his office but it was always a sharp contrast to Amelie's perfectly neat office. "What do you want?"

"Is Amelie busy?"

"She's always busy." Oliver said, in a tone that suggested I should already know that.

"Are you going to see her anytime today?"

"Why?"

"I was wondering if you could tell her I want to see her."

Oliver gave me his usual glare. "I'm not your personal messenger. Tell her yourself."

"She won't believe me if I told her why, though."

"You're her pet, she'll believe anything you say. Now go, I'm busy."

 _Not likely._ I thought, but left anyway. _Why did I think that was a good idea?_


	3. Chapter 3

After the unproductive visit with Oliver, I debated whether or not to go to Amelie's. In the end, I decided not to as it would just annoy her more.

But I also couldn't go back to sleep, who knows what would happen in the next nightmare. I always wake up when I'm about to be killed, but it's recently come to mind about what would happen if I didn't wake up.

So I made my way to the store and picked up a jar of coffee then went home. I made a cup of coffee then went to my room.

I hadn't realised before, but I had woken up pretty late. I looked at the alarm; 5PM. I sighed and leaned against my headboard. I was supposed to go to Myrnin's an hour ago. I was surprised he hadn't bombarded my phone with endless calls and text messages. But going by his track record of phones he had probably broken or lost the last one. I shrugged; if he hadn't come through my window then it wasn't that urgent.

Before I knew it, I had finished the coffee but I didn't feel any less awake. _Why wasn't it working?_

I rubbed my eyes and leaned against the headboard.

" _Claire." I bolted upright, my heart beating out of my chest. Amelie was staring down at me with those emotionless glowing eyes._ How did I fall asleep?

" _No, no I wasn't asleep. I-I-"_

" _I have powers in the waking world. Or maybe you're just immune to coffee. But anyway, since you're so enamoured with the body I'm in, I thought it might be nice to see how I got it."_

" _You said you caught her in an act of passion."_

" _I did. But watching always reveals much more, don't you think?" Amelie beckoned me to follow her. "Come." I sort of didn't want to know what "act of passion" Amelie was caught in, but I guess the alien version of her wasn't going to give me a choice._

 _Reluctantly I followed her, as she could just as easily drag me along. Outside was night again and the streets were quiet. Inside the coffee shop, there were still students but they weren't studying._

" _What are they doing?"_

" _They're offering their blood. It happens everywhere and we avoid the conflicts of acquiring blood the forceful way in your world. " I looked away. I hadn't gotten used to it in the three years I've been in Morganville, but watching the students whether they're possessed or not, letting themselves get bitten just made my stomach churn._

" _We're here." Amelie said. I looked up; I had been so preoccupied with the students I had lost track of time and we were going through the doors of the Founder's Building._

 _Amelie led me up the stairs and pushed open the door to her office and closed it when I was in._

" _How are you going to show me?" I asked._

" _Simple." Amelie put a hand to the back of my head and suddenly I saw see Amelie at the desk. Her eyes were grey and I would have felt a wave of relief, if this was real._

 _She was signing a paper and she was just putting it in a folder, when the door opened behind me and in walked Oliver._

" _Hello, Oliver."_

" _Hello."_

" _What brings you here?"_

" _I just thought I'd come and visit you. I haven't seen you in a while."_

" _I thought you didn't do social calls."_

" _I make an exception." He smiled and walked up to her desk and grabbed her hand. Amelie looked up at him._

" _What are you doing?"_

" _We need to spend some time alone. You work too much."_

 _Amelie took her hand away. "I'm touched you care, but next time."_

" _How about this time? I promise I only want to talk with you. Somewhere where we won't be disturbed."_

" _It was harder than expected to get her to follow." The alien Amelie said._

 _Amelie sighed. "I'm busy, come back later."_

 _Oliver was quiet for a while. Amelie went back to her work._

 _Oliver stared at a spot on the wall and opened a portal. "I've already told you."_

" _You know me, I don't take no for an answer. Come with me."_

 __

 _Amelie looked irritated, but stood up. "Fine. Five minutes."_

 _I wondered why Amelie didn't sense anything that was off about him._

" _Now to the bedroom." Alien Amelie said, changing the image to somewhere I'd obviously never seen before._

 _There was a double four poster bed in the middle of the room with blue bedclothes and white sheets. A brown dresser stood against the wall at the foot of the bed and a full length mirror stood to the right of the bed near a door. There was another door to the left which I guessed either lead to the landing or the en suite bathroom… or somewhere else._

" _This is one of the nicer bedrooms I've seen." Alien Amelie remarked._

" _It's not not your bedroom." Amelie only smiled._

 _The door opened and Amelie and Oliver walked in. "What do you want to talk about?"_

" _Sit on the bed."_

" _Why?"_

" _Please."_

" _Please don't!" I almost shouted._

" _It's useless, she can't hear you." Alien Amelie said. "Just watch."_

 _The feeling of dread that had slowly been growing in my chest only got stronger._

 _Amelie sighed and sat down. "Now what?-" Oliver kissed her, but only or a second, until Amelie pushed him away. "I don't have time for this." She got up, but Oliver grabbed her arm and made her sit again. "Oliver!"_

" _I need this, Amelie. It's been a hard week and I think it will only get harder without something from you."_

" _Get off me." Oliver let go of her arm. "You'll do fine. You've survived this long without me, you can live for a few more hours."_

" _I need you now." Oliver said, then paused. "One kiss. One kiss and I'll make an effort to make this week easier… and I'll try to get along with Myrnin."_

" _I'm not asking you to-"_

" _Just one kiss."_

" _Will you go then?"_

" _Of course."_

 _Amelie was quiet for a quiet for a moment, then she sighed. "Fine."_

" _No! Amelie don't please!" I shouted, but of course she couldn't hear me. She kissed Oliver and Oliver pushed her down on the bed and gently or not so gently, pulled down on her jaw and in a flash Amelie pushed him away and in a flash was on the other side of the room. I held her throat, bending over slightly. "NO!" I ran to her, but she was just an illusion. The image faded then reappeared further away._

 _I looked to Oliver, who's eyes were now glowing. "Who better to lead us, than a queen?"_

 _Amelie lost the strength to sit up, but Oliver caught her and lowered her to the ground. "Oliver…" She said in a faint whisper._

" _Don't fight it. It hurts worse if you do."_

" _And then she was mine." The possessed Amelie said. The image faded and disappeared._

" _Is this-" I didn't want to, but I had to ask. "Is this going to happen? In my world?"_

" _Child, don't you pay attention? It's already happening. Right now in a dark part of Morganville we are occupying the stray humans."_

" _I'll stop you. We've fought worse monsters than you."_

 _Alien Amelie smiled. "We're much worse. You won't be able to defeat us… and besides no-one will believe you anyway until it's too late."_

" _I'll make them believe me."_

" _Good luck with that." When she said that, it wasn't just her voice, but hundreds of other voices. I spun around to a hand grabbing my throat._

 _I screamed._

"Claire!"

They've got me. Pale cold hands wrapped around my wrists, ready to shove an alien down my throat. They're never gonna get me, they will never get me!

"Claire, wake up!"

I struggled with everything I had, trying to get free, then I felt the wind on my face. In my nightmares there's never been even the slightest breeze.

I blinked and stopped struggling and when I focused Amelie with her amazing grey eyes was kneeling in front of me. Her hands were on my wrists, not the doctors.

"H-How did I get here?"

"You walked in here and stared at me and then you started shouting and screaming. What's gotten into you?"

"It's the nightmare I've told you about. I've been having them everytime I go to sleep. It's always the same one and I nearly always end up as a host at the end, but I wake up."

Amelie sighed. She let go of my wrists and pulled me up. The guards pulled up a chair for me to sit on which I did. "What are your nightmares about?"

 _Now she believes me…_ I thought but didn't say. "It's always you. You're the Commander of the others or something, but you're always there when I wake up. First night I came to you, but you've already been infected, then the second night you told me why you're and today you showed me how you got infected… And… And I think they're coming here, or they are already here. They can hide their eyes."

I could see Amelie still didn't believe me, but I just sleep walked into her office and started freaking out, so she has to be less doubtful now.

"I'll visit you tonight. We'll get to the bottom of your nightmares."


	4. Chapter 4

I felt nervous about tonight. Not just about Amelie's visit, but what will happen this time when I sleep. Amelie would've never believed me if I hadn't sleep walked into her office and freaked out.

Night came faster than I wanted it to and soon enough, I was washing the dishes, tidying the house up a bit and saying goodnight to everyone.

I waited anxiously in my bedroom, twirling a thread from the duvet over and over in my fingers, until the door opened and Amelie came in.

"I thought you would be the one who sleeps early." She said.

"Nervous, I guess."

"About what?"

"The nightmare. I might not wake up or something really bad will happen or something."

"It's very unlikely you won't wake up. It's just a recurring nightmare."

"When will it stop?"

"I don't know."

Suddenly I had a idea. I remembered the time, the Daylighters came and I made that stupid machine which heightens a vampire current emotional state. It had been used on Myrnin and he could read my mind. I'm guessing with the power Amelie has, mind reading, wouldn't be that big of a stretch.

"Can you read minds?"

"You want me to read your mind, while you sleep?"

"You've done stranger things right? And it's easier than me telling you… cos you might not believe me."

"What makes you think I believe you now?"

 _Good point._ "You're here, aren't you?"

"I'm only here out of concern for your mental health."

"Then you'll do it?"

"Only if it makes you stop pestering me." I nodded. "Go to sleep, then." I laid down and Amelie went to sit on the chair, nightmare Amelie sits on when I go to sleep. I had underestimated how weird this was gonna be. "I can't help you if you don't sleep."

I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep. Even though I _really_ don't want to.

" _Nice to have you back with me."_

 _I opened my eyes drowsily and looked around. Everything was silver, but I could see glowing cubes in one corner._

" _W-Where am I?" I rubbed my eyes._

" _I thought it would be best for a change of scenery. We're in the ship that brought us here." Amelie was sitting on a chair in front of where the ship crew would control the ship. She was turning one of the cubes (that wasn't glowing) around in her hands._

 _When I finally woke up, I saw the doctors coming in and carrying the cubes - which were containers used to house the aliens - out. "What am I doing here?"_

" _You're going to help us. Even though I'm their Commander, they've been questioning my decision to keep you unoccupied."_

" _Are you going to change me?"_

" _Not yet. You're still useful."_

" _For what?" I hope she didn't expect me to help her infect more humans._

" _We've found some people who have taken quite a while to find and there are still more of us that needs hosts. You're going to help with that."_

" _Who are they?"_

" _I would say humans close to you, but you're close to everyone in this town, aren't you?" Amelie asked in a sarcastic voice. "If you do this, I'll make sure you're kept unoccupied until only one of us is left without a host."_

" _I told you, I'm not helping you to infect the town." I took a deep breath. "I'm not afraid of you, I will get people to believe me and I will stop you, if this is going to happen."_

 _The doctors around me stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me, their eyes glowing brighter than ever._

" _Bravery. That's what we like to see in a host. But you're scared of Amelie. You never show it much, because she's almost gentle with you and the good things outweigh the bad however small. But you haven't felt her strength."_

 _In a flash, she turned on me wrapping a hand around my throat and pinning me to the wall of the ship. I couldn't breathe and fought uselessly to loosen her grip._

" _Change her now. She's already proven herself to be a threat." One of the doctors said, stepping forward._

" _Not yet. You see Claire, nightmares are just that. Nightmares. No-one will believe you, not your boyfriend, not your friends, not you're mad scientist and certainly not you're precious Amelie. We're coming and you can't stop us. We're going to take your town, then you're_ world."

I gasped awake and bolted upright. My t-shirt was wet and so was the bed around around me.

"You weren't breathing." Amelie said. "Well, you looked like you were having trouble breathing."

"D-Did you see?" I wiped the freezing water off my face.

"It's quite disturbing, but they're not real. You could be worrying about something else and it's manifesting into your nightmares."

 _Why won't she believe me?_ I thought frustratedly. "I nearly died and she was strangling me and she just said that they're coming here. You have to believe me."

"Try talking to Myrnin. Maybe he's invented something for getting rid of nightmares."

"You think?" I'm sure Amelie didn't mean it, but it was worth a shot. Anything for a peaceful night.

"Who knows, when he's locked in his pit. Just try not to dwell on it too much. You'll just worry yourself unnecessarily." Amelie said, then she left my room and disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

Later on in the morning a few hours after Amelie left, I dragged myself out of bed and had a shower, brushed my teeth and got dressed.

I made toast and had a quick bite, then left a note saying where I was going, picked up my bag and left. The upside of being a morning person meant that no-one was up at 8AM to question my possibly spooked look on my face.

The streets were quiet and no shops were open for another hour so I went straight to Myrnin's.

When I arrived at the lab and went down the stairs, Myrnin was nowhere to be seen. I put my bag down, by the stairs and looked around.

"Myrnin?"

"Morning, Claire. This is a nice surprise." Myrnin said, behind me. I gasped and grabbed the first sharp thing I could see, which happened to be a piece of broken glass.

"What did I tell you about sneaking up on me?"

"I apologise. I went to visit Oliver before he opened that shop of his." Myrnin took a sniff. "You're bleeding."

I dropped the glass and pressed my hand to the edge of my shirt. "I'm fine."

"So how are your nightmares?"

"I… How did you know? I mean I only told you once and you didn't exactly believe me."

"Amelie came around earlier and told me what happened in the office." Myrnin shrugged. "I just want to reassure you it's a very likely possibility that it will never happen."

I had to stop thinking people will believe me. How often had nightmares proved real? I could just be freaking out for nothing. But a small part of me was still anxious. I sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"So have you had anymore?" Myrnin asked.

I considered telling him, then shook my head. What was the point? Nightmare Amelie was right; no-one will believe me. "I think they've stopped. You're right, it was probably nothing." I picked up my bag and left the lab ignoring Myrnin telling me to come back.

I checked the time; 9 am. Everyone would still be asleep so I could sneak in and go back to bed. I had resigned myself to suffering in silence until the aliens would come and take over everyone.

The rational part of my brain couldn't see how any of that was possible and I was starting to believe it. I was freaked out enough to get Amelie to read my mind, but that was probably due to not having any nightmares for a while.

Arriving at the Glass House and letting myself in, I locked the doors and headed to my bedroom where I got dressed into my pajamas and got into bed, facing away from the door.

The sound of a door opening, woke me up. I opened and looked at the time; 13:15 pm.

It could just be Shane, or Eve or Michael coming to check up on me, but the growing ball of dread suggested otherwise.

I heard the door close but no footsteps. _Vampire…_ My heart was beating out of my chest and the ball of dread was only getting bigger. As I felt whoever it was getting closer, I quickly closed my eyes and tried to pretend like I was sleeping. Why do I never keep a stake in my room? Even if I did, I probably would never be fast enough to use it.

" _Poor Claire. You're starting to doubt yourself now."_

 _My eyes open to Amelie. I sat up and tried to calm my racing heart. "W-What are you talking about? You don't believe me."_

" _I didn't, no. But as I was going through what I saw in your head, it made sense. I appreciate everything you've done for this town and for the humans and vampires living in it, and I realised that ignoring and disbelieving you would be foolish. We have to trust each other if these recurring nightmares of yours are true. So I sent out some of my bodyguards to look in likely places where green aliens would hide."_

" _Did you find anything?"_

" _to be specific, my bodyguards didn't so I went down there when I had spare time and I found something."_

 _The ball of dread wasn't leaving and then I remembered something Amelie said from my nightmare:_ The eyes are just to differentiate between us and the humans. We can control our hosts perfectly well without them.

 _Amelie smiled. "You've remembered." Then her eyes turned from grey to glowing green. I went to scream, but Amelie cut off my voice with a hand around my mouth "Now, now. There's no need for that. You're just going to help me with a few things." Her eyes went back to grey and she said, "Now I'm going to take my hand away and if you scream I'll break your neck. Am I clear?"_

 _I nodded and Amelie took her hand away. I gasped, I hadn't realised she had cut off my air too. "A-Are you real?"_

" _I'm as real as you are."_

" _Claire?" Shane said from outside my room. "Who are you talking to?"_

" _Go on. I have to prove I'm real, don't I?" Amelie said, rather than asked. When I didn't say anything she sighed. "Come in, Shane."_

 _The door opened and Shane looked confused for a moment. "What are you doing here?"_

" _Just a cursory visit. I've just been saying her break from Myrnin is over. She's required to attend as per usual."_

 _I nodded and kept my eyes to bed._ No, no, no, this is not happening. _This is just another nightmare._

" _Claire, are you alright?" Shane asked._

" _Yeah, I'm fine. She just scared me coming in that's all."_

" _I will take my leave now. Remember Claire, if you don't go to Myrnin there will be consequences." Amelie left the room, ignoring Shane's protests about threatening me._

" _What was she talking about, Claire?"_

" _Like she said. I gotta go work with Myrnin again." I threw off the duvet and got dressed, then headed downstairs and out the door barely hearing Michael._

 _I arrived at Myrnin's lab in record time and hurried down the stairs._

" _Claire?" Myrnin looked up from a book he was reading._

" _Amelie's possessed." I said, slightly out of breath from running._

" _I know you might not agree with every decision she makes, but I don't believe she is possessed." Myrnin closed the book and tossed it onto the floor with the other books indifferently._

" _No, no she is_ possessed _. She has an alien inside her and it's taken control of her and it makes her eyes glow but they can make her eyes look normal. It's the nightmare I told you about and it's happening! They're here!"_

 _Myrnin directed me to a chair and sat me down. "Relax for a moment and breathe. I hear breathing good for when humans are like this."_

" _Please believe me."_

" _I do, don't worry my dear." Myrnin took my phone and went to a different part of the lab. I heard him talking to someone but I couldn't hear what he was saying._

 _He came back to me and handed the phone back, all in one piece which was progress._

" _Who did you call?"_

" _Oliver, as it appears you are suddenly terrified of Amelie."_

" _She doesn't have to be afraid of me." Amelie from a few feet away from me. I jumped up and grabbed a long piece of broken glass not caring that it was cutting into my hand._

" _Claire, put that down." Myrnin said reaching for the glass._

" _Get out of her!" I shouted but Amelie just smiled._

" _Once you've changed you don't need to worry about anything other than bravery." She came towards me and I made the split second decision to stab her. I got her in the stomach and would have buried it but she grabbed my wrist so I grabbed a knife off the table and managed to stab her a few inches into her lung, before she forced me to the ground and Myrnin stuck a needle in my neck._

 _Before I went under, his eyes glowed._


End file.
